Naval ships of India and Russia on Tuesday launched their three-day joint war games in the Sea of Japan in Russia's Far East to hone skills to counter terror threats on high seas and destroy enemy submarines.
The war games codenamed INDRA-2007 are aimed at practising cooperative engagement in the fight against terrorism, Russian Pacific Fleet said in its press release. It is the third such joint exercise since 2003.
The Indian naval flotilla comprises three missile destroyers, a missile corvette and a tanker while Russia is represented by two large anti-submarine ships, a missile boat, a diesel submarine, a group of mine-sweepers, a tanker, two tug boats, two Ka-27 Helix helicopters, and an Il-38 May maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, RIA Novosti reported.
The live-fire exercise will include air defence and anti-submarine warfare manoeuvres. The naval groups will also rehearse operations to enforce the law of the sea and counter piracy, terrorism, and drug smuggling.
According to the defence ministry sources in Moscow, the second phase of INDRA-2007 war games will be held for the first time on the Russian soil in September, when elite paratroopers from the two friendly countries would hold anti-terrorism drill near Pskov in the north-west.
For the first time, Indian paratroopers will be arriving in Russia with their weapons for the war games involving Para-dropping and use of live ammunition. A bilateral agreement to facilitate is being put into place to facilitate this.
